We propose to establish the Center for Social Science Research on AIDS (CeSSRA), collaboration between researchers at Makerere University (MUK) and the Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC) in Kampala, Uganda, at Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) in Mbarara, Uganda, and at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. The Center would have two complementary missions: 1) to develop and expand local capacity to undertake social science research on HIV/AIDS in Uganda, through infrastructure development, training, and enhancement of local resources to undertake such work; 2) Promote, foster, and conduct social science research on HIV prevention and treatment. The Center will meet these goals through a combination of in-country workshops, ongoing consultation and mentoring, e- learning, and participation in field research. The research project is a longitudinal study of treatment access. The objectives of the study are to: 1) Examine treatment seeking practices and barriers to accessing care for people living with HIV in the context of lifelong HIV/AIDS treatment and care; 2) Identify factors that impact long-term adherence to care and treatment among patients on antiretroviral therapy (ARV); and 3) Describe and compare the experiences of patients on ARV in Kampala, the major urban area in Uganda, and Mbarara, a peri-urban area situated in amongst a primarily pastoralist rural area in Southwest Uganda. The study will enroll 800 HIV infected persons (400 men and 400 women) in Kampala and Mbarara for interviews at baseline, 6, 12 and 24 months. A sample of 40 persons will be recruited for the adherence study and a sample of 40 persons will be recruited for an ethnographic study of treatment experiences. By meshing the training components with the research project, CeSSRA will establish a cadre of social scientists prepared to address the many complex issues of HIV/AIDS in the next generation. [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable]